News in brief

European Voice

7/14/10, 5:00 PM CET

Updated 4/12/14, 7:51 PM CET

Stabilisation fund

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said on Tuesday (13 July) that he expected the new Slovak government to participate in a €440 billion eurozone stabilisation fund. Barroso was speaking after meeting Iveta Radic?ová, the Slovak prime minister. Radic?ová said her government did not agree with the fund, but indicated that Slovakia would honour the previous government’s commitment to support the fund once the parliament had discussed it.

Dairy farmers

The Commission will present proposals in the autumn intended to improve the situation of dairy farmers. The proposals will focus on strengthening the bargaining power of farmers in negotiations with buyers. Farm ministers this week discussed measures to help dairy farmers hit by a slump in prices last year.

Fusion-budget frictions

Ministers on Monday (12 July) called on the Commission to reallocate money within the EU budget to finance the construction of ITER, an experimental fusion reactor. The reactor is being built as a joint project by the world’s major economies but has suffered from major cost overruns. The ministers’ decision is likely to cause conflict with the Commission, which wants member states to find fresh money for the project.

Recognition of Kosovo

MEPs on Thursday (8 July) called on all EU member states to recognise Kosovo’s independence from Serbia, declared more than two years ago. Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain have not recognised Europe’s youngest country.

Common divorce rules

EU member states on Monday (12 July) backed plans by 14 member states to develop common rules governing which law should apply in cases of international divorce. This would be the first-ever use of enhanced co-operation, which allows a pioneer group of member states to proceed with legislation that is not backed by a sufficient majority of member states to apply EU-wide.

Alcohol monopoly

Farm ministers agreed on Monday to extend a derogation from state-aid rules for a German alcohol monopoly until 2013. The monopoly, which buys raw alcohol from farmers for distillation, will be wound down by 2017 and only very small distilleries will remain part of the monopoly after 2013.